Fluid jet systems have many applications, such as firefighting, surface cleaning, hydroexcavation, demolition, machining, mining, etc. Typical fluid jet systems provide a cutting or abrading function by projecting a jet of fluid at high velocity and pressure at a structure or surface. The specific fluid employed depends on the application. For example, for firefighting applications, a combination of water and an abrasive material may be employed to penetrate a wall or ceiling of a structure having a fire within, and upon creating a hole in the wall or ceiling, the abrasive material flow may be terminated while continuing the water flow through the hole to knock down the fire.
While existing fluid jet systems used in firefighting applications will knock down a fire, they generally cannot extinguish fires. When an existing fluid jet system is used to attack a fire, it is used for thermal layer control. More specifically, the small droplets of water emitted by existing fluid jet systems cool the layer of gas above the fire, interrupting the flame chain reaction of the combustion process. A fire attacked by existing fluid jet systems will generally continue to smolder until it redevelops in a free burning phase or a voluminous amount of water is applied to the burning substance.
In order to apply the volume of water necessary to extinguish a fire via standard pressure firefighting techniques, specialized equipment is often required. Large, highly specialized trucks are necessary to transport water to the fire and/or pump water from nearby water sources. Standard attack line hoses used for application of water to the fire are long (typically 50 feet), bulky (varying in diameter from 1½ inches to 3 inches), and heavy, requiring multiple people for deployment and use. Further, most of the water applied to a fire using standard pressure firefighting techniques is seen as run-off.